Route 66 centennial spurs tourism in historic small towns

After Route 66 became decommissioned in the 1980s, many towns went ghost. (Chelsea Torres)

“Think 1939, you’ve got a million cars coming through your town in a year.And after the war, that increases, and all of a sudden it’s like someone turned off the tap,” Hinckley said.

That vision becomes clear as travelers pass rundown businesses in dozens of small towns across the eight states.

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During that stretch is theTexastown of Adrian, which is coined as the “geographical midpoint” of Route 66, according to Gary Daggett, president of the Old Route 66 Association of Texas.

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“It’s the nostalgia, ya know, there’s so much of American history here at Route 66,” Daggett said.

ROUTE 66 HIGHLIGHTS COSMIC SITES ACROSS ARIZONA

Daggett is also the gift shop manager at Midpoint Café in Adrian, which is hard to miss as it is marked by a sign that soars to the skies.

The owner, Brenda Hammit Bradley, bought the café in 2018 and is still known for her endless pie flavors, like green Chile apple pie and Elvis, which is chocolate, peanut butter and banana.

“Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that it’s not hard, because it’s a job, but it’s just fun, I get to meet awesome people,�

Business owners and Route 66 experts say the historic highway is still alive thanks to international travelers.(Chelsea Torres)

Bradley said The Midpoint Café inspired Flo’s V8 Restaurant in theDisney-Pixar movie Cars.

Just 15 minutes east, is Vega, Texas – a small country town with sprinkles of Route 66 memorabilia.One block off the historic route is Dot’s Mini Museum. 

“Our town was bypassed by I-40, but you know, there are a lot of people who travel, who love to go into the town, meet the people, see the places,” said Keila Bain, Dot’s granddaughter.

Bain said her grandmother’s small museum of antiques is free to enter, and the door is never locked. 

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�S STEVE DOOCY VISITS TULSA’S OUTSIDERS HOUSE MUSEUM

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“The thing that’s mostly missing about Dot’s mini museum is Dot herself, because she was a lot of life and a lot of fun,” Bain said, adding that her grandmother inspired one of the characters in Cars, which allowed her to attend some movie events.

Small museum filled with antiques from the 20th Century along Route 66.(Chelsea Torres)

Although Dot is not around anymore, a guest book inside the small museum is filled with names from dozens of countries.These small books are inseveral Route 66 attractionsaround the town, tallying the thousands of people who stop by.

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“From its inception, what it’s about is the people.It has always been about the people,” Hinckley said.“That’s what gives it that infectious magic and enthusiasm.”